When I talk to Trump supporters about why they don’t like about Biden, the number one reason they give is high prices—at the gas pump, at the grocery store, and elsewhere. “Things were better under Trump”, they say, as if Biden single-handedly caused the price spikes of recent years. Never mind that inflation is a WORLDWIDE problem. Did he cause the price increases in France? In Brazil? Never mind that inflation has many causes–supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, the pandemic, oil supply disruptions, the Ukraine war–most of which had nothing to do with Biden or his policies. Never mind that the problem is much worse in other countries, or that the rate of inflation has dropped dramatically, and in most other respects the economy is incredibly strong.

Yet what I find most amazing when I talk to Trump followers is their total ignorance about the likely economic impact of the policies THEIR candidate wants to enact if he is elected, like imposing massive tariffs on virtually all foreign goods, which of course will be passed right along to consumers in the form of higher prices. Sixteen Nobel prize-winning economists recently issued a written statement concluding that Trump’s plans for a second term would WORSEN inflation considerably, and cause other harm to the economy. But that means nothing to Trump fans—to them, experts are just out-of-touch elites, Nobel prizes or not. Yet expertise does count for something. Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, and Alexander Fleming were also Nobel winners. Were THEY out-of-touch elites whose opinions counted for nothing? Apparently expertise in MAGA world only counts for something if it aligns with views of their cult leader. And what about Trump’s plan to deport millions of immigrants, legal and illegal? Won’t this exacerbate the already acute labor shortages in certain industries, which is also a significant cause of inflation?

So the next time you curse Biden for high gas and grocery prices and fantasize that Trump and his policies will magically cure all this, think again. You may be in for a rude surprise.